Gatorama owner loses finger at feeding show

The owner of Gatorama lost a finger after being bitten by one of his gators during a feeding show.

Allen Register owns and operates Gatorama with his wife, Patty.

Register spoke with WINK News, saying his only takeaway from this experience is to inform the public that what he does is considered safe.

Gatorama is located between Labelle and Lake Placid, along Highway 27 in Palmdale.

The alligator is still at Gatorama. Register told WINK News Reporter Jillian Haggerty that he contacted the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission after he was bitten.

He reported what happened and said it was his fault. Despite this, he said visitors are safe and have nothing to worry about.

“It’s something that I love doing,” Register said.

With nearly four decades of experience, Register has dedicated his life to caring for these creatures.

“They are unbelievable animal creatures. God did a great thing when he designed the alligators and crocodiles,” Register said.

On Sunday, Register’s routine feeding show took an unexpected turn.

“This time, I made those two mistakes, which could have cost me my life,” said Register.

He explained how the incident unfolded.

“My hand and the chicken blocked my view of his mouth, and because of that, I didn’t know how high his head was, and as soon as he started pulling my hand, I knew I was in trouble,” Register said.

Register was a matter of seconds between life and death.

“I knew eventually something was going to happen. It was going to either break the finger and eventually pop it off,” Register said.

This isn’t the first time he has faced danger while working with these powerful reptiles. He recalls only one other incident in his long career.

“I got the end of my finger bitten off, and that was with a crocodile, and I was moving the crocodile,” Register said.

However, Register emphasized that out of the thousands of feedings he’s performed, safety is his top priority for his employees and the guests who visit.

“It’s very safe here. We have boundaries and barriers to prevent our guests from getting too close to the alligators or the alligators getting too close to the people,” Register said.

Alligator Allen said he wants visitors to know safety is a priority at Gatorama.

Even though he got bitten, it shouldn’t keep people away.